Dreams
by Zan Artemis
Summary: AU Athrun sneaks over to Kira's at night after he is badly beaten. What happens when Cagalli finds out, though? Shonenai, yaoi.
1. I

_It was a little past midnight when I heard the first noise. But the noise was soft, so I tried to ignore it and roll over to go back to sleep. Most annoyingly, it came again and again, louder and louder, and it was keeping my from sleep, so I got up to see what it was._

_Outside it was pouring down rain—I could hear it hitting the rooftop and sliding down the tiles to fun from the roof to the ground in sheets like waterfalls. When it rained during the day I would sit at my window and just watch the waterfalls. At night, though, I was supposed to sleep. Besides, it'd started raining after I'd gone to bed._

_There that noise was again—it was coming from my window. I slipped on my house shoes and shuffled tiredly over to the window. It was too early to be getting up—Mommy'd said that if the first number on my clock was smaller than seven when I woke up, I was supposed to go back to sleep. The first number was a one, so I was probably breaking the rules by getting up._

_Lightning flashed outside and a shape was illuminated against my window. I wasn't frightened, though. I was too tired to be frightened, and so I shuffled over to the window and slid it open. Immediately I heard the sounds of the water falling in sheets from my rain gutters, the rattling of the water in the drainpipes that ran wound their way down the wall a few meters from my shutters, and the waving of the branches in the trees. The raindrops hit the leaves with a hollow sound, like the time when I'd spilled the rice on the glass table in the kitchen when I was five, a year ago. Mommy'd laughed when I did that, but Daddy got mad and yelled at me._

_There was a boy standing on my windowsill. He was still dressed in his pajamas, the soaked material clinging to his skin. The boy was shivering and his teeth were chattering, and though I couldn't see his face, I knew who it was._

_"Athrun-kun?"_

_He nodded, and I saw how muddy his body was. Without a word I stepped back and he slipped from the window and onto my floor. He was dripping on the carpet, but I didn't care. I closed the window._

_"Kira-kun, do you have any band-aids?" he asked me. His voice was wavery, not steady. I nodded and padded out of my room, across the hall to the bathroom. I had to pull the stool out from the cabinet under the sink so I was tall enough to clamber up on top of the porcelain sink, and even then I had to stand up to open the cabinet behind the mirror and on tiptoe to reach the box of band-aids. I climbed down and put the stool away before going back to my room._

_Athrun had pulled off his wet clothes, putting them in my laundry basket, and was pulling on a pair of my pajamas. I didn't mind. His arms, chest and back were covered with scratches and cuts. When I asked him how he got them, he was quiet for a moment and then said, "I fell down."_

_It took most of the whole box, but we got all his scratches covered. I made a second trip to the bathroom, this time to get him a cup of water. Holding it with both hands so I didn't spill it, I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and stared at the watery surface, telling it not to spill. After he drank the water, we both clambered up into my bed and got under the covers._

_When I woke up in the morning, Athrun wasn't there, and the window was closed. But there was still a water mark on my carpet floor by the window, a set of dirty clothes in my basket, and a paper cup on my dresser._

That was the beginning of a tradition for Athrun and me. Now, ten years later, he still slips into my room in the middle of the night sometimes, borrow my clothes, let me doctor him up, and, after a cup of water, he'll fall asleep in my bed beside me. When I wake up, he's never there, but the empty cup and the clothes are there to remind me that it wasn't a dream.

I'm no longer a naïve child, and his excuse of falling down doesn't work with me anymore. He still gives me that excuse, when he says anything at all, and I don't make him tell me the truth because I already know it. Athrun's dad beats him up; sometimes his mom does too. Athrun will tell me when he's ready for me to know for sure, so I don't say anything.

At school he seems normal enough. Every day his black hair is shiny and impeccable, neatly combed and trimmed at his collarbone. His eyes are a vivid green, his skin a flawless alabaster. Athrun trains and conditions his body to keep lithe and nimble at all times of the year, since he plays on some of the sports teams. There's always a smile on his face and a lightheartedness in his voice whenever there are people around, but when it's just him and me, the mask falls.

Every time the mask falls, my heart breaks for him, and I fall further and further in love.

(! _/)  
_(o.o)  
(uu)

The clock numbers were just rolling over to three and double zero when I felt my shoulder being nudged. I rolled over and opened my eyes a little bit. Athrun leaned over my bed, dripping water onto my face. It was raining outside again. Not a word was spoken. I nodded and climbed out of bed.

Quietly so as not to wake my family, I slipped on my shoes, retrieved the bandages and gauze from my bathroom, and the traditional glass of water. By the time I returned, he had changed into a clean pair of pants and was holding a shirt in his hands.

"What happened, Athrun?" I asked him.

He didn't respond. He sat down on the edge of my bed and looked up at me with those sad eyes. I dropped my own and sighed. Over the years we'd learned how to doctor him better; I kept a small bottle of alcohol in the dresser by my bed as well as some painkillers. He held still while I cleaned his cuts out with the alcohol, placed a cotton pad over each one, and wrapped the gauze around his chest and waist to hold them there. I was just tucking the tail-end of the gauze strip under the others when his hand touched mine. My eyes went to his.

"I'm sorry, Kira," he whispered quietly. His voice quivered.

Some nights Athrun didn't just need a place to sleep, he needed an emotional shelter. After he gulped down a couple of painkillers and half of his water, we climbed up onto my bed and wrapped the quilt around ourselves, and then he moved onto my lap and laid his head on my shoulder. I wrapped one arm around his waist and ran the other hand down his cheek every so lightly. I felt the tears as they trickled down his cheeks, and then he was sobbing quietly. I held him as he let it all out.

It frustrated me that I couldn't do anything to help him. I tried not to let it bother me, but as I fell more in love with him, it nearly killed me every night he came to me like this. Part of me wanted to demand that he tell somebody about the abuse, but I didn't say anything, just held him. They were always careful never to hurt his face or arms, anywhere that would show. During swimming for gym class, they'd either lay off him, or, if they wanted to hurt him, they'd make up an excuse for him to stay out of the water.

The only thing I could never figure out was why. Why did the Zalas want to hurt their son? He was so beautiful, inside and out, smart and talented. What was so wrong with him?

When his tears stopped, I still held him, combing the tangles out of his blue-black hair with my fingers and lightly stroking his hip and back with my other hand. I was rocking him back and forth without realizing I was doing so until he mumbled something about beginning to be seasick. I tried to smile at that, but couldn't. _How can they keep going and hurting him like this? _I wondered. He didn't pull away from me, and I didn't let him go. It seemed he needed the comfort as much as I needed to give it.

"Kira?" he whispered. "Can we lay down?"

I nodded and stretched out. He lay beside me, head lying next to mine on the pillow, and turned to face me. We stared at one another in the darkness, shared the same heat, breathed the same air. Usually now he'd fall asleep.

But he did something unexpected. Very gently, almost fearfully, he pushed me onto my back and laid his head on my chest. Automatically my arms went around his back.

"I-I'd like to sleep like this, at least for tonight," he said softly. "I feel… safer…with your arms around me, Kira-kun."

I smiled sadly at that and held him tighter. "You haven't called me that since we were kids."

"I know." He was quiet after that, playing with the hem of my night shirt. I rolled the ends of his hair between my fingers.

I was drifting off to sleep when I felt him shift a bit, moving until he was fully lying on top of me. I didn't mind and tucked the blankets more tightly around us before wrapping my arms around him securely. He fidgeted until his head was tucked under my chin and he was curled up on top of me. Oddly, he was lighter than I'd thought he'd be.

I thought he'd go to sleep then. The clock beside the bed read four thirty-seven am. Tomorrow was Sunday and we wouldn't have school, so we could sleep in, but I knew when I woke up he more than likely wouldn't be there with me. I was somewhat amazed; this was the most I'd heard him speak at night.

He spoke again, and I wasn't sure if I was dreaming or not.

"Kira-kun?" the boy on top of me whispered.

"Nani?" I mumbled, nearly completely asleep.

"I love you."

I'm still not sure if I was dreaming or not.

(! _/)  
_(o.o)  
(uu)

**_Author's Notes:_**

_This story is the product of too little sleep, exhaustion, and managing to get alcohol in my eye when I was taking off my mascara and eyeliner. When I got online to check my email, I was feeling kind of down and angsty. This story started out to be a scene of two children, one having a nightmare and going to the other. Then it was changed to suit Gundam Wing, and then to Gundam Seed, and now you see how it actually ended up. .:Laughs a bit:. Between writing this and messing with my music, I've managed to waste a good hour and a half I could've spent sleeping, but tomorrow really is Sunday, so I can always sleep in. Hope you liked it, and maybe there'll be more, I'm not sure yet. What do you think?___


	2. II

**_Author's Notes_**

_WARNING! Graphic make-out session. Not quite a lemon (sorry!), but, yeah. And it's my first time, so it'll probably just turn out a big piece of crap. Heh... v.v;; You _have _been warned._

_v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v_

Birds were already chirping when I woke up the next morning, and my alarm clock read ten thirty-two. Dimly I wondered why it wasn't buzzing; it was set to go off at nine every morning. I shrugged and rolled over. It was deliciously warm under the covers, and it felt good to just sleep in one morning, with not a care in the world. I pulled the blankets up over my head and burrowed into the mattress once more.

The door to my room opened and I pretended to still be asleep. There was huff and then a feminine voice. "I _know _you're awake, Kira Yamato, so don't even _try _to pretend you're not."

"Cagalli, leave me alone," I whined and pulled the pillow over my head, too, holding the ends securely over my ears. It wasn't enough.

She sauntered up to my bed and pulled the blankets back. Sometimes it's hard to believe we're related, let alone twins. For one thing, we don't look anything alike, really. She has blond hair; mine is brown. Her eyes are a gentle brown, and mine a violet colour. I'm taller than she is. She's meaner than I am, too. On the other hand, we're both lean and strong, and we know right from wrong. The two of us have lived together since our parents passed away a year ago. Right now she was getting on my nerves.

"Fine, but if you don't get up," she threatened, "I'm putting the pictures I took of you and Athrun-kun on the Internet."

My eyes flew open and I sat upright. "Pictures? Nani?"

Cagalli grinned. "I _thought _that would get you up." She pulled a disposable camera from her pocket and tossed it up in the air, catching it deftly. "I thought you were sleeping in today because you weren't feeling well yesterday, but when I came in to check on you, I found you two curled up cozy as you please." She began tossing the camera from hand to hand. "Kodak moment, wouldn't you think?"

I looked around my room, trying to swallow a guilty flush. "Where is he?"

"Downstairs. I made you two breakfast. See you in a minute." The blonde skipped from my room, happy as you please.

_Vindictive bitch, _I thought and hastily began hunting for clothes.

( )/)  
(o.-)  
(uu)

Athrun was sitting at my kitchen table with a plate of pancakes and sausage in front of him. He was halfway through his stack of cakes when he noticed me standing at the foot of the stairs and immediately voiced his protests. "Kira, she won't let me leave."

Cagalli turned from where she was making more pancakes. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her hip on the stove. "Sit." She pointed with the spatula.

With an apologetic glance at Athrun, I did as I was told. My sister set a plate of food in front of me, followed by a glass of apple juice and one of milk. "Now," she said as she played waitress, "you two are going to eat. I'm going to talk, and you're going to listen. Got it?"

We nodded and I took a bite of scrambled eggs. My sister really isn't that bad of a cook.

She turned off the stovetop and sat up on the counter facing us. "I don't know what happened last night," she said after a moment, "and I'm not sure I _want _to know. That's none of my business. I _do _know that I had plans today and I put them on hold for this little interview. Now. Athrun-kun." She turned to face him. "When did you get here last night? You weren't here when I went to bed, I know that for damn sure."

Athrun shoved a forkful of pancakes in his mouth, eyes kept sternly on his plate. I tried not to grin, and therein was my mistake. My sister rounded on me.

"Kira. How long have you two been sleeping together?"

Athrun choked on his pancakes. I decided discretion was the better part of valor and stole my friend's answer—I shoveled a patty of sausage half the size of my fist into my mouth.

"Should I call the Zalas?" she threatened.

We both stopped cold, and our eyes met over the table. Athrun swallowed his pancakes with a bit of difficulty. "If you don't want to know, why are you asking?"

"I'm not an idiot, Athrun-kun," she snapped. "I _know _what's been going on next door. I just want to know if you'll be moving in with us permanently, or are you going to keep sneaking in?"

The colour drained from his face. "You don't know anything," he whispered.

"They beat you, Athrun-kun. I'm not stupid."

"_You don't know anything," _he reiterated and, before she could move or say anything, he shoved away from the table and ran upstairs to my room.

"Athrun! Way to go, Cagalli," I said coldly to my sister before running upstairs after him.

( )/)  
(o.-)  
(uu)

My bedroom door was locked, but I knew how to pick it, having accidentally locked myself out many times. Athrun was sitting on my bed, staring at the wall with his back to me. I closed the door behind me quietly. "Athrun...?"

"Did you tell her?" he asked me softly. "Did you tell her I come over here at night?"

"No."

"Did you tell her that they beat me up? That they hurt me? I never told anybody that, Kira, not even you. How could you? You had no right."

"I didn't, Athrun. I didn't tell anybody."

I didn't know if he believed me; he didn't say anything else. Slowly I walked over and sat down on the bed beside him. Neither of us said anything for the longest time. Suddenly he whirled around and flung his arms around me, and I realized he'd been crying the entire time.

"Athrun...? Hn." I wrapped my arms around him and held him tightly.

"Why?" he sobbed. "Why do they hurt me? What did I do?"

"You didn't do anything, Athrun." I stroked his back in a soothing motion, but it didn't help. I pulled him into my lap and held him securely. "It's not your fault." The scent of my shampoo was heavy in his hair, jasmine and honeysuckle with his own unique musk. It was my favourite fragrance, and I buried my face in his hair to breathe in the scent.

I pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. "It'll be okay," I promised and brushed another reassuring kiss over his hair and temple.

He looked up at me with trust and need shining in his eyes. "I love you, Kira."

The emotion in his bright emerald eyes was too intense, and I had to look away. "Athrun..." _He doesn't mean it, _I told my beating heart and flipping stomach. _It's just all this mess. I'm the only really steady thing in his life—he's getting his emotions confused. _It didn't help.

"Kira, look at me," he whimpered, and reluctantly I dragged my eyes from where I'd been studying the design on my quilt to meet his. Athrun swallowed nervously and brought up one hand. Very lightly he ran his knuckles down my cheek. "I mean it, Kira," he whispered softly. "I really do love you."

Then he straightened up and pressed his lips to mine.

For a moment, all I could do was sit there, stunned. All thought suddenly stopped at that instant of contact, his warm lips on mine. His hands weren't still, brushing over my cheeks and smoothing my still-messy hair. Despite the inner voice cautioning against it, I hesitantly kissed him back. My eyes fluttered closed.

The kiss escalated in a matter of seconds from one of innocent confession to one of hot attraction. Any sense of sanity flew from my mind as his tongue fearfully touched my lips. My tongue swept into his mouth to taste its delicious sweetness. Very gently I pushed him down onto his back without breaking the kiss. His arms came up around me and held me close to him. I ran my hands down his sides almost possessively, then let them come to a rest on his waist. He whimpered a bit and deepened the kiss. "_Mmm..._"

Slowly my hands began to inch their way up his sides, touching the bandages and bare skin, pushing the shirt up as they went. I broke the kiss to rain smaller butterfly kisses over his face, neck and chest.

"Kira...?" he whimpered. His head was tilted back, eyes closed, and he clutched me tightly to him.

"Hmm?" I didn't look up from where I was gently nipping a line up over his shoulder and the side of his neck.

"Don't stop..." He sighed happily and my teeth closed around his earlobe lightly and my hands stroked up and down his sides.

"Kira, Athrun-kun? Is everything all right? You've been so—" The door burst open, and my sister stopped dead with whatever she'd been saying. I froze, then whirled around to face her, still on top of Athrun. He seemed to shrink somewhat under me, staring at the blonde over my shoulder.

Cagalli stared back at us, eyes wide open. Without another word, she took a step back out of the room and slammed the door closed behind her.

I winced at the sound. I was afraid to look back at Athrun, scared to see his reaction. I could feel his eyes on me. I rolled off him and stared at the wall.

"Kira?" he said softly. There was a pained fear in his voice. "Kira, look at me."

I didn't want to, I was too scared to see what I knew would be there: accusation, pained condemnation. I kept my eyes trained on the wallpaper.

He touched my shoulder, and I didn't move. "Kira...?"

An awkward, pained silence filled the space between us, and the only thing I heard after that was the sound of the window sliding open and closed again.

A tear slipped down my cheek. Athrun was gone.


	3. III

**_Author's Notes_**  
Feh. I can't believe it's been over a year since I published this. Of course, it's also been over a year since I updated--I'm sorry, everyone! I don't really like this chapter, but I really don't think it'll get better than this, so please don't hold it against me. No flames, please.

* * *

Getting ready for school the next day was awkward at best. Cagalli was too embarrassed to look at me, and the nerves from the upcoming argument between me and Athrun that I predicted made me fumble with my clothes, bookbag, and everything else. I had no appetite for breakfast, and Cagalli washed my soggy cereal down the garbage disposal before we began our trip to school.

She clutched her books to her chest, steadily watching her toes as we walked to the train station. We went to different schools—I to a public high school and she to a private, all-girls school. Her uniform was much more conservative than that of the girls' at my school, and the long skirt swished around her knees, making a whispery shivery sound. Her uniform looked much more together than mine did that morning.

The walk there and the train ride were spent in a tense, silent air. She fidgeted with her books, her hair, her nails, all of which were very unlike her. Something was bothering her, but I was mad at her and didn't much care. Finally, standing outside the train station where we went our separate ways, she reached out and grabbed my arm. "Kira? Talk to me."

I pulled my arm away from her coldly. "Why should I? Go away, Cagalli; you ruined everything."

"I'm sorry! I just—I'm jealous of you, I guess." She looked at the ground and kicked at a pebble.

"Jealous?" I swung around at her, incredulous. "What are you jealous of? You're not making sense!"

"I… I… I don't know." She sighed and turned to stare at the sakura trees that lined the streets. The fruits were blossoming, a beautiful pink bud. She reached out and plucked a flower from a branch and twisted it between her fingertips. "You two spend so much time together, and he trusts you so much. I just wish he'd trust me a little."

"That's because we're best friends!" I sighed and pushed my hair back from my eyes. We were going to be late if this kept up. Then it hit me. "Cagalli, you _like_ Athrun, don't you?"

A cherry flush spread across her cheeks and nose, and she snorted. "No, of course not!" But then her eyes softened, and her face fell a little. "Is… is it that obvious?" she asked me softly. "If it is, then why doesn't he notice it? Why doesn't he notice _me_? Why is he in love with you?"

I sighed. "I don't know, Cagalli… I'm sorry…"

"Am I so repulsive? Are girls so repulsive to him that he turns to boys? To _you_? What's wrong with me?" A tear slipped down her cheek, and she dropped her books to cover her face with her hands. Cagalli, who almost never cries, especially not in public.

"No, Cagalli, it's not anything like that!" I didn't know what to do. I gathered her to me and hugged her softly. "He's just going through a rough time right now, sis. Everything will be okay, don't worry."

She pulled back and wiped her eyes. "I guess…" She laughed self-consciously. "I look like a mess, don't I?"

"A little."

Cagalli turned her wrist up and glanced at the delicate watch clasped around her wrist. "We'd better go, or we're both going to be late." She sniffled and wiped her eyes again before kneeling down to pick up her books. I helped her.

She turned to go, and I started walking down the street.

"And Kira?"

I turned to look at her.

"Thank you."

I nodded and turned back.

"You two will work things out," she told me. I didn't turn around, and the sounds of her footsteps echoed away as she ran down the street to her school.

I stood there for a moment. _Will we, really? _

As I expected, I was late to school. Sensei didn't yell too much, and I sat down about ten minutes after I walked into the classroom. The class started whispering almost immediately when I opened the door. I wondered what they were talking about as I pulled my textbooks out of my bag. I sighed when I realized I left my math book at home.

Break rolled around, and I stood to leave. Athrun and I are in different classes, so we only get to see one another during school during lunch and breaks. I moved to leave the room, but my friend Argyle Sai stopped me.

"What is it, Argyle-kun?" I asked. "I'm somewhat in a hurry…"

"Yamato-kun, did something happen?" He stopped in the doorway, preventing my leaving.

I flushed. "What are you talking about?"

"Your uniform's all messed up, your hair is a wreck, and you look like hell," Sai said bluntly. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You're not going anywhere until you tell us why you were late, and what's wrong."

I glanced away. "You wouldn't understand. Let me go, Argyle-kun."

A short pause during which we considered our positions and whether it was worthwhile to fight over. I guess he thought it wasn't, because he merely sighed and said, "At least let me fix your uniform for you."

"I can do it," I objected, but he was already fixing my hair. I blushed hotly and glared to the side as he adjusted the tie around my neck, retying the knot and pushing it up to my throat. He was unbuttoning my top and replacing the plastic discs into their matching slits when the door slid open.

"Kira, I need to speak—"

I turned around to see Athrun standing in the doorway. His eyes were wide and shocked as they cut into mine, his face was pale. Sai peeked around my body at Athrun with mild curiosity, and then went back to messing with my clothes. Athrun and I stared at one another in quiet shock for a moment, and then he stepped back and slid the door closed resolutely. I took a step towards the door, but it slid open again to reveal the next teacher. The bell rang, signaling the beginning of the next class.

Sai went back to his seat, but I moved to the door. Sensei looked at me.

"Yamato-kun, class has started. Please take your seat."

"I'm sorry, Sensei, I have to go." I slid the door open and turn to him, bowed low, and dashed from the room. I had to find Athrun and explain to him, about yesterday morning and about just now.

Athrun's class was just down the hall, but I nearly ran past it. When I asked to see him, however, the teacher said that Athrun had not come back after break.

"Is something wrong?" she asked me. "Is it an emergency?"

"Uh… no. Thank you, and sorry for bothering your class." I bowed to her as well, then stumbled from the room and back down the hall.

_Where'd he go? _I thought as I skidded to a stop in the locker room. His shoes were missing. I kicked my slippers off and tossed them into my locker. I was still tying my shoelaces as I hopped awkwardly from the grounds.

I didn't know where he would go, where I would go. All I knew was that I would follow to the ends of the earth if he was there. I thought about where he'd go when he was hurt and confused, and the only place I could think of was my room. _He'd go to me. _But where would he go when he was running _away _from me?

I ran to the train station, but I didn't see him there. The conductor was looking at me suspiciously, and so I pretended to be examining the schedule. He walked away, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing I needed was a nosy officer getting me in trouble when my friend needed me.

The train to my home wasn't crowded, and so I was forced to stay in my seat. Athrun wasn't in my compartment, but that didn't necessarily mean he wasn't on the train. I sighed and fidgeted—it was the first time I'd ever skipped school, and I felt edgy, like I was going to get in trouble. My uniform felt like a prison, and damn Sai for fixing it, anyway. Though it was a relatively short trip, the train ride seemed to drag on forever. I bit at my nails anxiously—what if Athrun really wasn't going to my house? _What if he's on a train going a completely different way? What if he never left school grounds?_

_Trust in patterns, _I told myself. _You'll find him eventually. _

My window was open, I saw as I came up the back steps. I didn't remember opening it, but then again, that morning had been difficult for me, and my memory of specific events was somewhat hazy. Who was to say that I hadn't opened it? In fact, now that I thought about it, I remembered opening it to allow a breeze—the room had seemed unbearably hot and stuffy that morning. I let myself into the house.

Everything was quiet, the air was cool. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. The soft _whirr_ of the air conditioner in the background calmed my nerves, soothed my frazzled mind. I made my way up the staircase to my room and opened the door.

I was not alone in the room. Athrun was sitting on the far corner of my bed, sniffing and glaring at me. He wiped at his eyes, annoyed. "What are _you _doing here?"

"I live here," I answered quietly, not wanting to play that game. The curtains flapped loosely in the breeze let in by the window. I noticed his shoes lying abandoned on the floor beneath the window. His bookbag lay beside them, and his school jacket was tossed carelessly across my computer. I dropped my own bag in the doorway and sat down on the bed's edge.

He pulled his feet closer to him. "Stay away from me."

I stayed where I was, but moved so I could lean against the wall. "Athrun, I never meant to hurt you. If you believe anything, believe that."

"Why should I trust you?" He watched me with a cold gaze that pierced to my heart. "You told everybody!"

"I didn't tell anyone anything!" I held my hands out imploringly. "Why won't you believe me, Athrun-kun? Why don't you trust me any longer?"

"How did she know, if you didn't tell her?"

I sighed. "Cagalli cares for you; she pays very close attention to anything you do and everything about you. She was bound to notice eventually."

"What about you?"

His abrupt question threw me off. I looked up at him, startled. "What _about _me?"

"Your sister cares about me, what about you?"

"I… Of course I care about you, Athrun…" _Where is he taking this?_

Athrun moved up onto his knees and crawled towards me on the bed, never breaking eye contact. "How much do you care about me, Kira?"

"Um, Athrun? What are you doing?" The soft, seductive purr in his voice was arousing feelings I didn't think belonged in the current situation. _What the hell just happened? _Everything was moving so quickly!

"Why won't you answer my question?" He stopped just short of me, still on his hands and knees. "How much do you care about me? Because I care about you very… very… _very _much." His voice became a mere breath, a whisper, as he moved closer to me. His lips brushed mine very lightly, the caress of a feather.

A flush spread across my cheeks, but I could only sit there. The confrontation had taken a completely weird turn, and I had no idea what was going on any longer. Then before I knew what I was doing, I'd joined in and was kissing him with an urgency I didn't know existed.

This time he pulled back, surprised. He started at me with a wide-eyed shock, then slowly sat back on his heels. "We need to talk about this."

I nodded, a hot blush worming its way up to my hairline. I stared at the quilt beneath us and began tracing the patterns with a fingertip.

"Kira, look at me."

I didn't want to. But after what had happened last time, I knew I had to. I pulled my eyes up to see his.

He smiled briefly, then moved around so he was leaning against the wall beside me. "Why didn't you look at me yesterday? Were you ashamed?"

I shook my head. "I thought you'd hate me."

"Why? Because I kissed you? Kira, that makes no sense."

Well, when he said it, it sounded stupid. When I thought it, it made perfect sense. I shrugged.

"Now you ask a question," he said softly. "That's how this works."

"Oh." I thought for a moment. "Do you love me?"

"I already told you I do."

"Oh."

"This fight went in a totally weird direction, didn't it? I was so pissed off at you ten minutes ago, now I can't move away."

"Yeah."

He sighed and laid his head on my shoulder. "You don't want to talk, do you?"

"Not really."

He smiled somewhat. "Neither do I. So what should we do?"

"You're not mad at me anymore?"

"No. I never really was, I was just scared, I guess."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him toward me. "Then I want to hold you. Is that okay?"

Athrun laughed very softly and snuggled up to me. "That's more than okay. That's what I want, too." He took a deep, shuddering breath and pressed his face into my collar. "I really do love you, Kira. I know you didn't tell her. I was just so scared, and then you wouldn't look at me or speak to me…"

"You tried to _eat _me!" I laughed and hugged him. "You'd be scared, too!"

"As I recall," he retorted, pinching my ribs, "_you _were the one biting me."

I flushed. "Oh. Yeah, that _was _me."

He sat up straighter and looked me in the eye. "But I liked it."

"Oh?" My heart started to pound again. Surely he could hear it?

"Mm. And I like kissing you." As if to prove his point, he leaned in and pressed his lips firmly to mine. This time I wasn't afraid, and I kissed him back.


End file.
